March Forthby Dale Botting, Richard Jankowski, and Alan WallacePublished by Benchmark PressReview by Sally Meadows$25.00 ISBN 9781927352533 March Forth is a bold undertaking by three seasoned Saskatchewan businessmen to help guide and strengthen business and government leadership during our current tumultuous economic and political climate. Drawing from decades of real-life experience in multiple, diverse industries, the authors challenge leaders to take decisive action by putting forward-thinking economic policies into place immediately and in the coming years to mitigate the negative impact of volatile trade wars and other geopolitical hazards on socio-economic growth in Saskatchewan and beyond. Effective transformational change starts with a vision, and the book opens with the authors’ passionate visualization for a stronger Saskatchewan (and Canada) by 2040. Having a vision is only part of the story; the remainder of the book includes specific strategies to help business and government leaders get from where we are to where we could be. Included are detailed, practical policy recommendations that address such topics as improved trade strategies, leveraging grassroots efforts, alternative global import sourcing, improved supply chain management, regulatory reform, strategic trade and energy infrastructure, Indigenous engagement, tax reform for global competitiveness, modernizing municipal assessment and finance systems, investing in…

Waiting for the Piano Tuner to Dieby Harriet RichardsPublished by Shadowpaw Press RepriseReview by Toby A. Welch  $24.99 ISBN 9781998273317 This compact collection of ten short stories delivers a nonstop emotional rollercoaster. Richards explores heavy themes – death and dying, family dynamics, sibling relationships, love, loss – but what stands out is how hope runs through it. It packs a punch by taking raw situations and humanizing them.  While I enjoyed all ten tales (not something I can usually say in a short story collection), my favorite was Andrea’s Kitchen. It comes in at just under seven pages but it leaves a lasting impact. It tells the story of a woman blessed and burdened by her beauty and how that has played out in her life, for better or worse. A close second was Marine and Jonathan, Plus Carmalita’s Journal, the longest story at thirty pages. The layout of the tale was cool as parts of it were journal entries, hence the title. It follows the story of the three people in the title from adolescence into adulthood and the complications that arise. Most of the stories quietly linger, resurfacing hours or even days later.  I know a book is special when I’m…